Villa Romana del Casale & Valley of the Temples Private Tour

Roman mosaics that survived fourteen centuries underground, then temples built to outlast empires.

A private tour by car from Taormina or Catania to two UNESCO World Heritage sites in Sicily: the Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina, where you walk through mosaics from the 3rd and 4th centuries, and the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, a 1,300-hectare archaeological park holding Doric temples from the Hellenic period. The driver speaks English and provides bottled water and WiFi; site entry fees are separate. The tour runs eight hours and suits all fitness levels.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Villa Romana and Valley of Temples

• Travel to Villa Romana del Casale
• Explore mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale
• Travel to Valley of the Temples in Agrigento
• Visit archaeological park and temples

The Experience

The Villa Romana del Casale lay buried for centuries until archaeologists uncovered it in 1950. What you see now are the mosaics that covered the floors and walls of a Roman estate—intricate scenes of daily life, hunting, and leisure that survived because they were underground. You walk through the rooms where these images still hold their color and detail, a direct view into how the Roman Empire lived when this villa stood on an active trade route.

From there, the drive takes you to Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples, an archaeological park that spreads across 1,300 hectares—the largest in Europe. The temples are Doric, built in the Hellenic period, and they sit on a ridge with views toward the sea. The park has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997 and a regional archaeological park since 2000. Your driver navigates the route and waits; you set the pace at each stop.

The car is air-conditioned, and the driver provides water and WiFi during the journey. If you want a guide to narrate the sites themselves, you can arrange that separately by contacting the operator before the tour. The eight-hour itinerary is built to fit both major stops into a single day without rushing between them.

What’s included

• Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• an English-speaking driver.
• bottled water.
• and WiFi on board.

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by The Best of Sicily Tours and Transfers

Is this one for you?Choose the Taormina departure if you're staying on the north coast; choose Catania if you're based in the southeast. Either way, the private car and driver mean you don't coordinate timing with a group or wait for a shuttle—you move between the two sites on your own schedule, which matters when you want to linger at the mosaics or walk the temple ridge without a fixed group pace.

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Top questions

What are the mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale made of, and how old are they?

The mosaics date to the 3rd and 4th centuries and cover the floors and walls of the villa. They depict scenes of Roman daily life, hunting, and leisure, and they survived because the villa was buried underground until its discovery in 1950.

Is the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento a single temple or a collection?

The Valley of the Temples is an archaeological park holding a series of important Doric temples from the Hellenic period. The park spans 1,300 hectares and is the largest archaeological park in Europe and the Mediterranean.

Do I need to pay extra for entry to these sites?

Yes, entry to the Villa Romana del Casale and the Valley of the Temples are not included in the tour price and are paid separately at each site.

Can I book this tour from either Taormina or Catania?

The tour is available with departure from Taormina or departure from Catania. You choose which starting point suits your location when you book.

Does the driver provide any commentary about the sites during the tour?

The driver is English-speaking and will assist during the journey, but does not provide guided commentary within the sites themselves. You can request a separate guide by contacting the operator before the tour.

How much time do I spend at each location?

The tour runs eight hours total and includes both the Villa Romana del Casale and the Valley of the Temples. The itinerary is designed to fit both sites into a single day, and you set the pace at each stop.